Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Ogun State Government has issued a stern warning to market leaders and traders against indiscriminate waste disposal, threatening to shut down any market found dumping refuse within its premises, as heaps of garbage and signs of open defecation continue to take over sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway within the state. The warning, issued on Sunday, 12 July 2026, came after a visit by journalists to the Mowe, Ibafo, and Magboro sections of the busy highway revealed that parts of the road median and adjoining roadsides had been turned into illegal dumpsites, with decomposing refuse littering the area and human faeces visible in several locations, indicating persistent open defecation despite repeated public sanitation campaigns.
Residents of the affected communities have expressed deep frustration over the deteriorating environmental conditions, with many blaming the Ogun State Government for what they described as a regulatory failure in curbing indiscriminate waste disposal. Kunle Olalekan, a resident of the area, told The PUNCH that the government had not done enough to monitor the activities of traders operating along the expressway, adding that the situation had worsened over time. "The Ogun State Government is to be blamed for this eyesore. When you pass through the Lagos section of this expressway, you won't see anything like this, but here in Ogun, everywhere is littered with waste. The government has failed in its oversight responsibility of ensuring that illegal dumping of refuse is curbed," Olalekan said.
Another resident, Ugo Chukwu, urged the government to extend its enforcement efforts to traders and markets located along the expressway corridor, arguing that much of the refuse being dumped originated from nearby markets. "We cannot shy away from the fact that most of the refuse is being dumped by traders in markets located along the expressway. At Mowe, you will see heaps of corn husks dumped on the median, yet the traders selling the commodity are located just a short distance away. We keep wondering how the refuse gets there. The government must extend its enforcement to these markets," Chukwu said.
In response to the growing environmental crisis, the Ogun State Government, through the Special Adviser to the Governor and Managing Director of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA), Farouk Akintunde, issued a warning that any market found guilty of dumping refuse within its premises would be shut down. Akintunde issued the warning after the evacuation of long-standing waste deposits at the Farmers' Market on Solu Road in Ifo and Mamu Market in Ifo and Ijebu North Local Government Areas. He condemned the practice by some market leaders of keeping refuse within market premises instead of disposing of it through designated collection points serviced by government-approved waste collectors, noting that the accumulation of waste posed serious environmental and public health risks.
"These heaps of waste expose food items sold in these markets to avoidable contamination, which could lead to food poisoning and other health challenges, thereby exposing residents of the state to preventable diseases," Akintunde said. "Markets should operate in a clean environment with proper waste management and not become havens for illegal waste dumps because they are public places where we all buy what we consume. Exposing what we consume to waste is not acceptable and will not be tolerated under any guise whatsoever." He directed the leadership of the affected markets to ensure proper sanitation and coordinate their members to maintain a clean environment, warning that the government would not allow a few market leaders and traders to compromise public health through poor sanitation practices.
The warning comes amid growing concerns over environmental pollution along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, one of Nigeria's busiest transport corridors. Environmental sanitation has remained a major challenge in several rapidly expanding communities along the expressway, particularly in Mowe, Ibafo, and Magboro, where rapid population growth has increased pressure on waste management infrastructure. Successive Ogun State administrations have introduced periodic clean-up exercises and enforcement measures, but illegal dumping and open defecation continue to pose significant environmental and health risks. The renewed warning signals a tougher enforcement approach as the state seeks to improve sanitation standards and preserve the integrity of one of Nigeria's most critical transport arteries.
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